Christmas Mission / Dragon draws Bunnies / The Ghost of Aquinnah Blog-tour / Diamonds & Dust Release

Christmas Holidays have been my yearly nightmare for many centuries. December knew me as Grinch Scrooge dragon. Last year and out of love for a child, I decided to break the curse cast over Christmas. I was only 50% successful despite of my best effort. This year the Holidays promise to be twice as challenging and difficult than last year. I'm gearing up already. Actually I've been preparing myself since late November for this Mission: Impossible or Miracle: Possible.

I will need all of my patience, every ounce of dragon wisdom, my complete reserve of fortitude, skill and energy. I am praying to the Higher Powers for help. Some pure hearts are counting on my dragon magic and I don't want to fail them.

If the dragon could ask a Christmas gift from you, I sincerely ask for your prayers. Pray for peace in the house where I and my kin are gathering. Pray for safe trips for all of us who will be on the roads on difficult days. I don't like to travel on this season because people get crazier than usual, but dragon must do what dragon must do. Pray for safe arrivals and safe returns. I will be forever thankful.

After this week, my time online will be scarce so this is my last post of the year. Dragon and dwarves will return to the cave on January 8th.  Hopefully, I'll have a couple successful missions to report then.

But before I go off the grid, I give you something to entertain yourselves during my absence. First, I'll brag.

Finally, my not so secret wish to be interviewed by Tammy Theriault got to her ears! I have no idea how it happened. I also have no idea about any elf-disguised dwarves hidden on a tree near her home (or the overgrown red possum stalking from said tree.)

Anyway, I want to invite you to drop by Tammy's place and read Father Dragon's interview with this stunning lady. I am very impressed with her ability to come up with questions at the same time she swatted away suspicious conga dancing "elves". I guess they mistook her for Gloria Estefan.

If you haven't been interviewed by Tammy Theriault yet, what are you waiting for? It is really fun and a memorable experience. Check her blog and send her an e-mail. It's faster than stalking, take my word for it.

And now a ghost story to scare the dwarves into good behavior. I am honored to have Julie Flanders as my guest during December. This is part of the Blog Tour for her new book The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Be welcome, Julie. Best of luck for you and your book!
   

The Minot Lighthouse Ghosts

The Gay Head Lighthouse, which my great-great-grandfather was the keeper of in the 1800s, is located on the cliffs of Aquinnah on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. It plays a key role in my novel The Ghosts of Aquinnah, in both the present day story and the story which takes place in the 1880s.

I love lighthouses and Father Dragon tells me the dwarves love ghost stories, so I thought I would combine the two for this post. But before I get to the ghost story, let me say thank you to Father Dragon and to all the dwarves for hosting me here today! Your hospitality lives up to its legendary reputation and I'm so grateful for the warm welcome.

The Minot Light (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The ghost story I've come here to tell is about the Minot's Ledge Lighthouse, which sits approximately a mile off the coast of Cohasset, Massachusetts. Built to warn ships of the dangers of the submerged granite ledge of the same name, the lighthouse was constructed in the mid-1800s and rose 114 feet above the water.

From the time it began operating in 1850, the Minot's Ledge light was considered unsafe. Huge Atlantic waves that were nearly as tall as the lighthouse itself would crash down on it during storms. In the winter time, the doors and locks would freeze shut, trapping inhabitants inside or, much worse, outside.

On April 11, 1851, the lighthouse keeper went ashore and left two assistants named Joseph Antoine and Joseph Wilson behind to man the light in his absence. Shortly after, a terrific storm descended on Massachusetts, bringing torrential rain and fierce wind that lasted for days. On April 16, Cohasset residents were awakened in the middle of the night by the incessant ringing of the Minot's Ledge fog bell. The bell rang throughout the night and a rescue party was sent out to investigate the situation in the morning. But the party found nothing to investigate, as the lighthouse was gone, completely demolished by the towering waves and swept away into the sea.

In 1860 a new lighthouse was constructed and still stands today. But remnants of the original light and that terrible night in April appear to have remained at the site. Keepers reported strange knocking sounds in the lighthouse and stated that the fog bell would often begin ringing by itself for no reason. After the lighthouse became fully automated in the 20th century, numerous boaters have reported seeing two men hanging off the side of the lighthouse, apparently clinging to girders in spite of the fact that the current lighthouse has no girders.

Some of the boaters have stated that they have heard one of the ghostly men screaming in a language other than English. Joseph Antoine's first language was Portuguese.

Blurb:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick. 

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head. 

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul. 

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry. 

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out. 

But, it’s not at all what she expects...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

Buy The Ghosts of Aquinnah:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Ink Smith Store

About Julie:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found playing with her pets, reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. The Ghosts of Aquinnah is Julie’s second novel. Her debut novel Polar Night was released in February, 2013 by Ink Smith Publishing.

Find Julie at: 

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

It's Launch Day!

Diamonds and Dust

by River Fairchild

Book 1 of the Jewels of Chandra series

Magic is real. So is betrayal.
Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all.

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Buy it here:

AmazonUS - AmazonUK - AmazonDE - Kobo - Barnes & Noble - Apple - SmashWords -Paperback

About the author:

River Fairchild is somewhat odd, brandishes a dry sense of humor, owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never staying in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can find your way down the rabbit hole.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon /

Dragon and dwarves wish both Julie and River success with their wonderful books. We also wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you have peace, light and love in your hearts, for they are the source of all blessings. Take care, my friends. See you next year!